The Kindness Initiative

We believe that every interaction with another living being is an opportunity for energy exchange. Any interaction. We made a list of the types of day-to-day interactions we could have with strangers and here are a few things from the list: standing in line, buying something from someone, passing on the sidewalk, sitting next to someone.

The type of energy we choose to share can be positive or negative. Here at the Rainbow Unicorn Posse of Love, we want to share positive energy. We made a list of ways to share positive energy. Say hi, compliment, smile, offer to help, invite, please and thank you, give gifts.

We decided to take an active step to provide strangers with evidence of positive energy by passing along handwritten cards -- Nice Notes -- to people who look like they might need it. We sat down to draw out the Nice Notes. The messages inside were simple. Some said, "Just a note to let you know someone was thinking about you." Some said, "Hope you have a fantastic day!" Each note included a mustache sticker for the recipient's use.

And each note was signed: Your new friend at the Rainbow Unicorn Posse of Love. We started off a little rocky, each of us making mistakes (we wrote them in pen) and worrying about whether or not the Nice Note was really nice enough to pass along. But then we loosened up and started to have fun adding doodles, smiley face stickers, and invitations. Luke's notes said: We meet in the library at lunch. Come and find us!

We decided to hand out one Nice Note per week, so we each made two. Every morning, we will focus our thoughts on finding one person this week who needs a Nice Note. This will help us to reach outside of ourselves and to remember that we're all unique human beings on this planet, each person with a whole life and sum of experiences. No one we meet is just a face. Each person has a story about which we know nothing. 

Since most of our members are in school, we made sure to remind ourselves that depression, anxiety, and bullying are huge problems in the adolescent population. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24. It could be that a Nice Note passed along at just the right time could save someone's life.

While we are only handing out one Nice Note per week to a stranger, we are going to always be on the lookout for people needing positive energy. We will smile, offer sincere compliments, provide little acts of service, and seek to raise others.

If you would like to participate in RUPL's Kindness Initiative, write out a Nice Note, put it in an envelope, and carry it with you. As you focus your positive energy outward, someone will cross your path who needs this energy. And maybe you'll be the only person that day who can provide it.

Be that person. Always.